Ice dispensing bin



Nov. 26, 1968 R. H. CALLEN 3,412,909

ICE DISPENSING BIN Filed July 18, 1967 United States Patent 3,412,909 ICE DISPENSING BIN Robert H. Callen, Peabody, Mass, assignor to Market Forge Company, Everett, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 18, 1967, Ser. No. 654,195 Claims. (Cl. 222-410) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A storage bin for cracked ice having at its bottom a discharge opening and containing a rotor provided with radial vanes by means of which ice may be moved toward the discharge opening to effect discharge, including a darn at the bottom for deflecting ice through the discharge opening and fixed vanes at the bottom for replacing the discharged ice.

Background of the invention In Patent No. 3,192,734, dated July 6, 1965, there is ice dispensing apparatus embodying a bin having a bottom opening and a rotor mounted in the bin for effecting discharge of ice through the bottom opening. The apparatus herein illustrated has in common with the apparatus disclosed in the aforesaid patent a bin and rotor and in addition means which provides for better discharge of the ice, better replacement of the discharged ice, less bridging of ice within the bin between vanes, better drainage, and lower power consumption.

Summary As herein illustrated, the apparatus comprises a bin of circular cross-section having a bottom and upstanding side wall providing a storage chamber for holding a quantity of cracked ice or its equivalent for dispensing. The bottom contains a discharge opening located near the wall and a rotor is mounted in the bin for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the bottom to move the ice toward the opening for discharge. The rotor embodies three radially extending vanes, the lower edges of which are spaced from the bottom, and a dam is provided at the bottom at the side of the discharge opening toward which the vanes are moving, the dam occupying the space between the bottom and the lower edges of the vanes so as to intercept and discharge ice moved toward it by the rotor. Stationary vanes are provided at the bottom between the bottom and the lower edges of the vanes on the rotor beyond the dam in the direction of rotation of the rotor, said stationary vanes being situated at angles such as to impart radial movement to ice moved into engagement therewith to fill the space depleted by the discharge of ice through the discharge opening. The discharge opening is circular and the dam comprises a blade secured to the wall having a curved deflecting surface, circumscribing the edge of the discharge opening, which confronts the ice moving toward the discharge opening. The fixed vanes are situated at acute angles to the radius on which the discharge opening is located and provide convex surfaces in confronting relation to the direction of rotation of the rotor. The lower edges of the vanes on the rotor are situated at a predetermined distance above the bottom which is less than the thickness of soft, homogeneous ice which would be self-supporting over an area equal to the area of the discharge opening, and the height of the dam and of the stationary vanes is substantially equal to the distance between the bottom of the lower edges of the vanes on the rotor and the bottom of the bin. The bottom of the bin has a portion sloped outwardly and downwardly from the center and the dis- 3,412,909 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 charge opening is situated in the sloped portion thereof. A plurality of drainage openings are also located in the sloped portion of the bottom adjacent the wall. The vanes on the rotor have upper edges which slope from the wall downwardly and inwardly toward the axis of rotation and there is a rod mounted in the bin in a radial position with one end fixed to the wall and the other end adjacent the axis of rotation with its longitudinal axis inclined and substantially parallel to the upper edges of the vanes on the rotor.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical diametrical section through the ice storage and dispensing bin herein illustrated;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the rotor removed from the bin with a portion of its shaft broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3.

The storage and dispensing bin herein illustrated may be used, for example, in combination with the apparatus shown in the aforesaid Patent 3,192,734 in place of the bin illustrated in that patent, or with any similar apparatus provided with means for supplying the bin with ice to replace ice used up by discharge.

The bin, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is of circular cross-section, having a circular bottom 10 and an upstanding cylindrical side Wall 12. The side wall is comprised, for example, of sheet metal bent to form a cylinder and is secured at its lower edge to a flange 14 at the peripheral edge of the bottom, for example, by welding. Angle members 20 are secured to the bottom in spaced parallel relation by means of angle irons 16 to stiffen the bottom and provide support for the bin. A jacket 18 is provided below the bottom 10 for holding a layer of insulation T against the bottom.

The bottom 10 (FIG. 1) has a flat circular portion 22 at the center and an annular declining portion 24 extending outwardly therefrom to the wall 12. A circular opening 26 is provided in the annular portion of the wall for discharge of ice. The opening 26 is closed except when discharge is to be effected and for this purpose a closure such, for example, as shown in the aforesaid patent may be employed which is normally opened by placing a receptacle in a position below the opening.

Movement of the ice toward the discharge opening is effected by a rotor 26 (FIGS. 3 and 4) mounted within the bin for rotation about a vertical axis. The rotor comprises a shaft 30 and radial vanes and is rotatably supported by a bearing member 28 at the bottom into which the lower end of the shaft 30 is stepped. There are three radially extending vanes 32 secured to the shaft 30, each of which comprises a flat plate having a lower edge comprised of a horizontal portion 34 which is parallel to the flat center portion of the bottom and an inclined portion 36 which is parallel to the annular portion of the bottom. The outer edge 38 of each blade is parallel to the wall 12 and the upper edge 40 is inclined downwardly toward the axis of the shaft 30. The plates of which the vanes are formed are bent double at their inner edges and secured by welding to the shaft.

As illustrated, the shaft 30, when mounted in the hearing 28, supports the lower edges 34 and 36 of the vanes in spaced parallel relation with the horizontal and inclined portions of the bottom, the spacing corresponding substantially to the vertical height of the bearing 28. This dimension is selected so as to be less than the thickness of soft, homogeneous ice which would be self-supporting over an area equal to the ice dispensing opening to prevent bridging.

Ice is discharged from the bottom opening 26 by rotation of the rotor in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. To assist in discharge a dam 44 is'provided at the bottom between the bottom and the lower edges of the vanes. The dam is located at the far side of the discharge opening with respect to the direction of rotation so as to intercept ice as it is moved across the discharge opening. The dam 44 is in the form of a curved blade secured at 46 to the wall and has a curved portion 48, which extends inwardly from the outer edge of the discharge opening around the far side to substantially the inner edge, which provides a concave surface confronting the ice being moved toward it.

In order to replace the ice discharged through the discharge opening there is provided on the bottom a pair of stationary vanes 50 which are inclined at an. acute angle to the radius on which the discharge opening is located and in the direction of rotation so as to deflect ice moving toward them radially outward to fill the space depleted by the discharge of ice. These vanes are curved and provide convex deflecting surfaces confronting the rotating vanes and the ice moving toward them and correspond substantially in vertical depth to the distance between the bottom and the lower edges of the rotating vanes. Optionally, the vanes 50 maybe concave or straight.

In order to minimize bridging of ice across the upper edges of the vanes on the rotor a rod 52 is mounted in the bin in a radial position with one end fixed at 53 to the wall and the other end adjacent the shaft 30, with its longitudinal axis inclined from the wall inwardly and downwardly substantially parallel to the upper edges 40 of the vanes 32.

To provide for suitable discharge of water at the bottom of the bin a plurality of drain pipes 54 are welded to the bofiom around openings 56 provided therein adjacent the wa Ice is discharged from the apparatus by rotating the rotor and to this end a suitable motor (not shown) is provided and connected to the shaft 30 so that the rotor can be rotated periodically and for such lengths of time as to discharge the desired amount of ice. A closure (not shown) extcriorly of the bin by movement to an open position starts the motor and hence rotation of the rotor. The motor, the closure, and the means for effecting operation of the motor in response to opening of the closure and also means for replenishing the bin with ice at the top may be of the kind disclosed, for example, in the above-identified Swanson patent or the equivalent thereof.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modification and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing ice comprising a bin of circular cross-section having a bottom and upstanding side wall providing a storage chamber for holding a quantity of ice for dispensing, said bottom containing a discharge opening located near the wall, a rotor mounted in the bin for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the bottom, said rotor embodying radially extending vanes, the lower edges of which are spaced from the bottom, a dam at the bottom located at the side of the discharge opening toward which the vanes are moving in relation to the direction of rotation of the rotor, said dam occupying the space between the bottom and the lower edges of the vanes so as to intercept ice moved toward it by the rotor, and stationary vanes at the bottom located between the bottom and the lower edges of the vanes beyond the dam in the direction of rotation of the rotor, said stationary vanes being situated at an angle such as to impart radial movement to the ice moved into engagement therewith to fill the space depleted by discharge of ice through the discharge opening.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge opening is circular and the darn comprises a blade secured to the wall having a curved deflecting surface circumscribing the edge of the discharge opening at the side toward which the vanes are moving.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dam is secured to the wall adjacent the discharge opening and has a curved surface which extends from the wall at the outer edge of the discharge opening inwardly around the far side of the opening to substantially the inner edge of the opening, said curved wall providing a concave deflecting surface confronting the ice moving toward the discharge opening.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed vanes are situated at acute angles to the radius on which the discharge opening is located.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed vanes are located between the axis of rotation of the rotor and the center of the discharge opening.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed vanes present convex surfaces in confronting relation to the direction of rotation of the rotor.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed vanes are radiallyspaced.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower edges of the vanes on the rotor are situated at a distance above the bottom which is substantially less than the thickness of soft, homogeneous ice which would be selfsupporting over an area equal to the area of the discharge opening.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of the dam and of the fixed vanes are substantially equal to the distance between the bottom and the lower edges of the vanes on the rotor.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area of the bottom containing the discharge opening declines toward the wall.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom has a flat circular portion at its center and an annular radial declining portion extending from the peripheral edge of the flat portion to the wall, said latter portion containing the discharge opening.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom contains a plurality of drainage openings adjacent the wall.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom inclines upwardly from the walk toward the center and the lower edges of the vanes on the rotor are correspondingly inclined.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vanes on the rotor have upper edges which slope downwardly from the wall toward the axis of rotation.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rod is mounted in the bin in a radial position with one end fixed to the wall and the other end adjacent the axis of rotation, with its longitudinal axis inclined and substantially parallel to the upper edges of the vanes on the rotor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 286,361 10/1883 Wistanee 222-4l0 X 2,612,298 9/1952 Wearne 2224 l0 2,690,857 10/ 1954 Vergobbi 222-242 X 3,059,450 10/1962 Mueller et al 222-410 X 3,192,734 7/1965 Swanson 222-410 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN. im ry Examin 

